Soups

Rainbow Vegetable Soup (Cai Hong Tang)

traditionally used to support the body's natural processes, soothe the throat, and nourish the five organ systems

In short: Rainbow Vegetable Soup (Cai Hong Tang) is a soup that traditionally used to support the body's natural processes, soothe the throat, and nourish the five organ systems. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, sleep & calm, everyday balance. Total time about 105 min. Key ingredients: green olives, chinese yam, carrot, figs.

Prep
15 min
Cook
90 min
Total
105 min
Makes
1.2–1.5 L
Rainbow Vegetable Soup (Cai Hong Tang)

Why people make this soup

The idea behind rainbow eating is simple: different colours of vegetables and legumes bring different nutrients and different traditional benefits. Fresh green olives are a versatile seasonal ingredient — they pair beautifully with monk fruit for a throat-soothing drink, with green radish and almonds for another style of soup, and here they anchor a cheerful rainbow broth. When you put all five colours together, you get a soup that’s as nourishing to look at as it is to drink.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Black soybeans · Randomized controlled trial, 100 participants · 2013
    Systolic blood pressure fell more in the black soy peptide group (-9.69 mm Hg) than in the placebo group (-2.91 mm Hg) after baseline adjustment. Plasma malondialdehyde decreased and superoxide dismutase activity increased compared with placebo.Limitation: Used an isolated peptide supplement rather than whole black soybeans, and followed participants for only 8 weeks, so the results may not apply to food intake.PubMed 23924691

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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